NBA Notebook: In Season Tournament begins without fanfare for Celtics

A normally routine changeover for the TD Garden staff between a Celtics back-to-back on Friday night instead pulled the full crew that changes the arena between basketball, hockey and other events into action. They piled smaller pieces of hardwood onto forklifts, and assembled the parquet back onto the floor, at one point a pile of unpopular evergreen floor panels toppled off the lift. They survived the fall. It's unclear if the design will last until next season, the Celtics having already reportedly unsuccessfully tried to integrate a parquet design to retain their classic court's feel.

"There hasn't been a discussion on the In Season Tournament in general," Joe Mazzulla said earlier that night. "To me, it's 1-of-82. There's obviously something we're trying to create here in the NBA, which I think is important, and I do like the structure of in-season tournaments in soccer internationally. I get what we're trying to get to and I think it can be a good thing, but the way it's set up right now, it's still one of 82 games and regardless of if this was an In Season Tournament game or not, we're playing to win the game." 

Reports suggested that NBA commissioner Adam Silver faced similar shrugs through his enthusiastic push for the tournament in collective bargaining discussions -- an idea to spice up the early schedule ahead of what's long been considered the unofficial start of the NBA season on Christmas. Four groups mixing teams from different divisions in each conference will play on Tuesdays and Fridays this month in group play. Winners of them, plus a pair of wild cards from each conference, will advance to the single elimination quarterfinals during the first week of December in home markets, before those winners advance to the semifinals and championship from Dec. 7-9 in Las Vegas, a long-rumored expansion city. Winning players receive $500,000. 

"Every player you ask might have their own mixed feelings about it," NBPA vice president Jaylen Brown said last week. "We voted on it ... we had conversations about it and we agreed that more revenue couldn't hurt, it's more revenue in our pockets ... it's hard to get a gauge for enthusiasm, but it's definitely mixed reviews across the league." 

It's a simple concept, but one that elicited confusion from disinterest from fans, coaches and players alike. Some embraced the idea, Erik Spoelstra expressing interest in the competitive aspect of an early playoff-style stretch for his team that struggled early last season before peaking late through an NBA Finals run. Games began last week, with a late addition to the rollout coming from the league in the form of unique courts turning the Celtics' iconic floor into a strange sea of green that Kristaps Porziņģis compared to the Bucks' colors. Green t-shirts with the generic tournament logo covered the TD Garden seats. Graphics promoting the event played on screens inside and outside the arena. For now, it played out like a gimmick. 

"I wouldn't choose the word excited," Brown said Wednesday. "But (we're) ready. We'll be ready. If there's basketball to be played, our group will be ready." 

The Celtics ran away with their opening group play game on Friday against Brooklyn, 121-107, without Al Horford (knee) in the front half of the back-to-back. Nobody would mistake the intensity for the playoffs. Boston rested Horford on the back end of those pair of games last year, and he's active on Saturday, meaning the Celtics chose the group play game to play short-handed. The Nets remained cautious with Ben Simmons (hip) and Nic Claxton (ankle). Maybe all three would've pushed to play in an NBA Playoff game. Not this.

New Nike uniforms also rolled out for tournament games, with the Nets testing theirs out last Saturday in Brooklyn with bubbly font and almost 1990s Spurs-like stripes of colors that also layered over their gray court. The Celtics' jerseys read Boston in similarly-dulled green font to the floor with gold trim. It's far from the most egregious looks, the Heat wearing a cringe-worthy Heat Culture logo along with a paragraph in the paint describing their identity. Red floors like the Bulls' turned player's heads watching highlights in the locker room in all the wrong ways. Silver explained how it'll take time for an American audience to understand the concept. Porziņģis, who grew up in Latvia and played in Spain, did see the similarities. He also didn't sound thrilled.

"I kind of like (the courts) when I saw them in the picture," Porziņģis said. "Then when I watched them, the red one was a little too much for the eyes."

"Honestly, no, (we didn't talk about it)," he continued. "It's going to be probably a bit more exciting for the fans, but I think the thing is, a lot of people still don't know what it is. Maybe if it's a successful year, which I believe it will be this year, next year, the first game and every game's gonna be like, now we know what it is. So I think, now, we're going into something we don't know, but for us, it's important to win every game ... we had it a couple years in ACB in Spain. We never qualified, but I always watched it and I know how big of a deal it is in Spain and different countries in Europe." 

Porziņģis and Payton Pritchard didn't find that the new floor impacted their visual awareness in the game. The court in Dallas almost caused a conundrum if former Celtic Grant Williams didn't notice a flaw in the printed three-point line during warmups. He complained that his shot felt off following the Mavericks' team shootaround. Measurements revealed a manufacturing flaw, and Dallas had to scrap its In Season design for an alternative floor. The NBA acknowledged it began the process in August, which made for a rushed rollout. Even the Celtics' floor smelled like paint and wood like Home Depot. 

Boston is now 1-0 in its group that includes the Nets (1-1), Bulls (0-1), Raptors (0-0) and Magic (0-0). The Celtics travel to Toronto next Friday for their second IST game, and visit Orlando on Black Friday before hosting the Bulls on the following Tuesday to round out the schedule. NBA games remain unscheduled in early December awaiting the results of that group play, but if Boston doesn't make the tournament or loses prior to the title game, their dates will get filled with regular season games so every team will finish with 82 games played. Only the teams that reach the championship will play an 83rd game that doesn't count in the regular season standings. The Celtics would travel on Dec. 6 and/or play a Dec. 8 home game if they lose prior. 

If they do make the title game, the most enticing possibility of the tournament for championship contenders comes in possible playoff previews in Vegas. Could the Celtics and Nuggets get an additional game against each other when they'd normally only meet twice? Could Celtics-Lakers become the inaugural title game? That's what intrigues me most. If the final four results in randomness like Raptors, Pacers, Kings and Rockets, it'll be tough to buy in. Silver touted the FA Cup as inspiration, which began 152 years ago, and while soccer doesn't share the NBA's postseason tradition and other events hold international prominence over the cup, it serves as a qualifier for UEFA Europa League and English power Manchester City recently won for a seventh time. The NBA can adjust and expand on the stakes over time, and likely will, with play-in berths, tiebreakers and tradition eventually taking hold.

"Overall, trying to win something that's different, I love the philosophy behind it," Vaughn said. "I didn't grow up in the soccer culture, so for me, it's pretty exciting. People who have seen this style of play really relish in the competition that goes along with it, the break in the season, it's for something, a trophy, an inaugural piece that you'll be the first part of in a long time, so I think as a player, I would be excited. I addressed it with the team the first time we played an In Season game, that this was part of our bracket and I'll say it again tonight, but I always coach our team with what's best for our group that night and I'll do the same thing tonight with the guys that we have available ... the power of money with this group and across the league is very powerful, so I think they're well positioned to make a little extra change and for a young player in this league who's just getting his first few paychecks, that goes a long way." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta (5-3): Trae Young found Dejounte Murray on a wraparound pass to the corner for a three-pointer to beat the Magic 120-119 in Mexico City. Jalen Johnson's integration into the starting lineup helped score a good win over the Pelicans (21 pts, 11 reb), scoring a double-double again in their loss to the Thunder while Young and Murray posted 51 points and 17 assists. The Hawks found their own weird way to promote the In Season Tournament.

Boston (6-2): Dropped consecutive road games in Minnesota and Philadelphia while Kristaps Porziņģis struggled to stay with more athletic, physically-imposing big men. The Nets also found ways to challenge the Celtics following their spotless 5-0 start, going small in Brooklyn and in their In Season Tournament opener in Boston while generating three-pointers in droves. The bench emerged as a concern too, falling back into last place in scoring while Payton Pritchard went scoreless in three straight games. He emerged with 13 points in 30 minutes while Al Horford rested on Friday and Sam Hauser hit five threes, but depth remains a concern here as Neemias Queta (foot) slowly returns to the floor from his preseason stress fracture.  

Brooklyn (4-5): Jacque Vaughn described the Nets' start as one man in, one man out. Ben Simmons fell injured with a hip injury on Monday in Brooklyn's loss to the Bucks after resting the previous loss against Boston managing his return from his long-running back ailment. Cam Johnson (calf) returned in Boston and hit 3-of-6 from three to score 11 points while Nic Claxton (ankle) worked out on the floor pre-game, but missed his eighth straight game. Harry Giles III, the former top prospect and close Jayson Tatum's friend who has long battled injuries and last played in 2021, returned on Saturday.

"You see that smile on my face when you said Harry? I love saying good morning to him every single day," Vaughn said. "I love dapping him up before the game. The energy and juice he brings to the bench. He's been consistent, he's competitive. He plays in the stay-ready group and gets that group going. He was good in his minutes, whether it was popping back and getting a three, whether it was running back and finishing in transition. I love his story, because I saw him as a young McDonald's All American and the bounce, and all that went along with it. To see him persevere and continue and give himself another chance at this beautiful game, I'm glad I'm a part of it." 

Charlotte (2-5): Scoring well (11th) but fell to 27th in defense through losses to the Wizards, Mavericks and in a narrow win over the Pacers where they allowed 124 points. LaMelo Ball scored 34 points in 36 minutes in their loss to Washington, while his more balanced attack where he set up Gordon Hayward for 27 points helped them score a bounce back win in the In Season Tournament meeting with Washington. Mark Williams scored 21 points with 20 rebounds, a growing force at center into his second season, averaging 15.4 PPG and 9.9 RPG on 72.1% shooting. He's a cornerstone piece. 

Chicago (3-6): Torrey Craig took over at small forward in place of the struggling Patrick Williams and didn't provide much more offense as the Bulls lose in a blowout to Denver and in overtime against the Suns. They managed to beat the Jazz as DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Alex Caruso pour out steady production. Their scoring depth doesn't threaten much beyond that, ranking 23rd in offense. Caruso, likely to become an increasingly popular trade name if the Bulls' downturn continues, drew praise for his continued defensive excellence from Phoenix' stars. 

"He’s a phenomenal player,” Kevin Durant said. “I don’t even want to call him a role player. But just a guy that you can plug with any lineup and he’s going to make the right reads, the right plays on the defensive and offensive side. The Bulls are lucky to have him.”

Cleveland (3-5): Their start grew more baffling by allowing 128 points to lose in a strong offensive showing against the Thunder. Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Caris LeVert all scored 20 points, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander unloaded 43 points on their back court. Their defense fell to 14th and offensive stagnation, alongside injuries, built a -3.5 net rating to begin a critical season. Their schedule eases up some this week, and with full health they need to badly string together some solid wins reminiscent of last year. Otherwise -- criticism might turn toward the coach and his defensive focus. 

“This is a clear disappointment,” J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We had an opportunity coming off a big win to kind of springboard ourselves in the right direction. Our approach to start the game wasn’t good enough. Where we were mentally and where our focus was, it wasn’t good enough. Coming out and not executing the game plan is disappointing.”

Dallas (7-2): Their bet on overwhelming teams with offensive firepower paid off to begin the year, reaching their height with 144 points over a Clippers team that scored with them for much of the game. Luka Doncic dropped 44 points with six rebounds and six assists to separate Dallas while Kyrie Irving added 27 and Derrick Jones Jr. posted a double-double as an increasingly useful defensive presence in the starting lineup. The Mavs rank No. 2 in offense and with defense (24th) a secondary concern, it's worth watching the consistency of the supporting cast. Grant Williams struggled this week. 

Dallas did not use its In in-season tournament court after Williams noticed a problem with the three-point distance on the floor -- a manufacturing issue. 

Denver (8-1): Unsurprisingly the best team in the NBA, racing out of the gates following their championship summer before losing Jamal Murray (hamstring) this week with an ailment expected to keep him out until December. Reggie Jackson scored 20 points in his place while Nikola Jokic unloaded 35 points in a win over the Warriors, Denver showing capable of staying afloat in the regular season without its second star. They've won four straight, and the more they rack up victories without Murray, the stronger Jokic's (29.1 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 8.0 APG) third MVP case becomes. Jokic leads Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic in a familiar race atop Basketball Reference's MVP predictor. 

Detroit (2-8): Lost their seventh straight game in a concerning start to the Monty Williams era that included second-year guard Jaden Ivey falling far behind Killian Hayes in the back court hierarchy, and curiously staying home from the Pistons' current road trip with an illness. Hayes is playing well, saving his career with 11.3 PPG and 4.9 APG while shooting 32.4%. Ivey averaged 20 minutes off the bench before sitting the two games, one a healthy scratch, prior to their loss in Milwaukee. Williams said Ivey has struggled for a while with an illness that has affected multiple players on the team. 

“He’s better. He’s had a viral thing going on and it affects people differently,” Williams said. “Cade’s (Cunningham) been under the weather for about a week and a half, and he’s just been pushing through." 

Golden State (6-3): They're looking up and down the rotation for depth early in the schedule, starting newcomer Dario Saric in place of Draymond Green in Denver and utilizing Chris Paul as the bench leader alongside young wings Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, who will mix in traveling with the pro and G-League team. They combined for 52 points in Santa Cruz this week.

Houston (5-2): Winners of five straight after a difficult start to the Ime Udoka era transitioned into his trademark defensive focus that held the Kings to under 100 points in back-to-back games, suffocated the Lakers to 94 then edged out the Pelicans' two stars, 104-101. Houston, a disaster on defense under Stephen Silas, now ranks eighth on that end with the sixth-best net rating (+5.3) in the league. Alperen Şengün averaged 12.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 3.4 APG as the increasing center of their offensive facilitating next to Jalen Green (20.2 PPG), who's shooting 41.5% from three. Udoka has moved on.

“What happened in Boston is what happened in Boston,” one Rockets source told Heavy Sports. “It hasn’t come up with anyone. And this team hasn’t been 3-3 in I don’t know how many years — three, four years?”

Indiana (6-3): They're for real -- the best offense in basketball -- with their meltdown in Boston without Tyrese Haliburton looking like the outlier as they've scored 121.5 points per 100 possessions. That would finish as the best in NBA history by far, and while Haliburton's availability remains critical to their success, they've received steady offensive production from Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin in the starting lineup too. Bruce Brown brought a new passing outlet and a battle continues between Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith for the four role. Nesmith scored 24 points in 30 minutes against the Jazz on Wednesday. Teams, including the Clippers, have started expressing interest in Daniel Theis, who hasn't cracked Indiana's rotation this year. 

Clippers (3-5): James Harden scored 17 points with three rebounds and six assists, starting hot before the Clippers slowed late at Madison Square Garden in a 111-97 loss to begin his new chapter in LA. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George didn't receive consistent looks on offense, and Russell Westbrook started next to Harden as expected in what'll become a challenging offensive alignment. A short-handed Nets team shut Harden and the Clippers' offense off next across town, and only Leonard looked up for the challenge of running up-and-down with the Mavericks. Mason Plumlee fell injured during the three-game losing streak, and will miss multiple months with an MCL sprain, leaving LA without a backup center. 

“I think the small lineup doesn't really fit (Harden) well right now until he gets in better game shape. Keeping a five on the floor with him as much as possible will really be good for us,” Ty Lue said. That now becomes more difficult. 

Lakers (4-5): Shook off a rusty start with a nice win over the Suns on the road where LeBron James suffered a shin contusion that limited his mobility throughout the game. He still finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Cam Reddish became a starter in place of struggling Austin Reaves this week, a Darvin Ham favorite after signing in LA this summer. James also said he and Reddish connected over a conversation he wouldn't go into detail about, but James pointed out that he believes in Reddish's abilities. He notably looked for him in the corner for a last-second loss Reddish missed against Miami on Monday. Overall, the Lakers have overall posted a -6.1 net rating -- as bad as the sputtering Grizzlies early in the schedule. 

"To all the naysayers and basketball savants that don’t know nothing about basketball and telling me I should have shot that shot in Miami instead of passing to Cam Reddish, well I did the same thing tonight because I trust my teammates and I make the right play every single time,” James said in a postgame TV interview. “And game-ball (goes) to Cam Reddish, for sure.”

Memphis (1-8): Scored their first win with a 24-2 run against the Blazers, but the losing continued since with offensive and defensive setbacks against the Heat and Jazz. They're dropping games to relatively weaker teams than the ones they'll meet later in the schedule, a significant concern with the possibility looming that they could lose control of the season before Ja Morant returns after 25 games. Bismack Biyombo's arrival, part of cap relief for Morant's suspension. He posted double-double production in both losses and allowed Jaren Jackson Jr. to return to the four. Jackson, nonetheless, got ejected in Friday's loss. Smart -- averaging 13.0 PPG, 5.2 APG and a league-leading 2.3 SPG -- fell to 26.9% from three on 5.8 attempts per game. 

Miami (4-4): Back on track with some early season bumps-and-bruises out of the way in wins over the Wizards, Lakers and Grizzlies highlighted by Bam Adebayo's dominance. The big man is now averaging 22.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG and 3.4 APG on 50.9% shooting while Jimmy Butler remains in passing mode. They lost Tyler Herro, however, who's out at least two weeks with a grade two ankle sprain. He'll have to use a walking boot for 10 days. 

Milwaukee (5-3): Their baffling start continued when Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 54 points and the Bucks lost to the Pacers, 126-124 on Thursday. Damian Lillard, whose rough defensive start helped sink Milwaukee's No. 1 unit from a year ago to 25th early, missed the loss with a calf injury. Officials ejected Antetokounmpo from the team's win over the Pistons after celebrating a dunk past Isaiah Stewart. Milwaukee ranks seventh on offense, managing to mix in enough scoring between Cam Payne and Malik Beasley with Lillard out. Lillard remains questionable to play this weekend. 

Minnesota (6-2): Remember the summer of Anthony Edwards? He transitioned it into a legitimate MVP-level start for the Timberwolves, who emerged with a roving Rudy Gobert as the league's best defense through their hot start. Edwards averaged 27.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 5.3 APG with 1.3 SPG on 50% shooting (40.4% 3PT), leading wins over the Nuggets and Celtics to begin his fourth NBA season. He downed Boston in overtime with a string of jump shots, stripping Jayson Tatum on a switch while defensive ace Jaden McDaniels shut down Tatum and scored 20 points. All of that happened with Karl-Anthony Towns playing poorly, fouling out of the Celtics win and shooting 43.8% to begin this season. Could Naz Reid make him expendable? 

New Orleans (4-5): Can't shake the injury bug even with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram healthy. Trey Murphy III (knee) and Jose Alvarado (ankle) remain out to begin the season and CJ McCollum joined them by suffering a scary collapsed lung that sidelined him with no timetable to return this week. The Pelicans announced his evaluation saw positive healing, but another bite out of the team's back court led to their fourth straight loss. Alvarado is back on the floor and expected to rejoin the lineup within the next week or two. 

New York (4-4): Excited about RJ Barrett, who's receiving more ball time and freedom offensively to play to his strengths as a playmaker and transition rim-runner. His shot might come down to earth (47.1%), but it reflects the confidence he's playing with atop a Knicks offense that badly needs him. Julius Randle's erratic play sunk their offense to 24th in offensive rating to begin the year. The NY Post reported Randle has pushed through an ankle injury.

Philadelphia (7-1): Beat the Celtics and looked comfortable, shooting ahead by 14 in the fourth quarter before nearly collapsing in the final two minutes. Kristaps Porziņģis' last-second three-pointer fell short that could've forced overtime and Tyrese Maxey stayed aggressive despite struggling to shoot. Joel Embiid hit a key late turnaround over Jayson Tatum and Tobias Harris emerged as one of the league's most efficient players early on an equal-opportunity offense with James Harden gone under Nick Nurse. Nic Batum rejoined the team, denying rumors he considered retirement, and scored five points with four rebounds in the win over Boston. They play the Pacers twice this week, including in the IST, before hosting the Celtics on Wednesday.

Phoenix (4-5): Bradley Beal (back) made his Suns debut in an overtime win over the Bulls, scoring 13 points and returning for 24 in 32 minutes two days later against the Suns in the In Season Tournament. Keita Bates-Diop and Grayson Allen started this week with Devin Booker out of the lineup for the fourth straight game managing foot and calf injuries. The Suns, mostly playing around Kevin Durant, rank 15th in offense and 12th in defense, the latter an encouraging sign for a group that began the year with seemingly little interest in racking up stops. It's tough to judge them until their Big 3 unite. 

Portland (3-5): Robert Williams III will undergo season-ending surgery after playing only six games for his new team, suffering kneecap and ligament damage in Portland's loss to the Grizzlies. The devastating blow for the 26-year-old underscored, in part, why the Celtics made the tough decision to part ways with him in the Jrue Holiday trade, with the injury occurring in the opposite knee of the one where his meniscus tear derailed parts of his last two seasons with Boston. His former teammate Jaylen Brown lamented the setback, saying he had just checked on Williams III days earlier. Fellow former Celtic Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring) fell injured five minutes into the Blazers' ensuing loss to the Kings, missing the rest of the game. 

"It's tough. Rob is strong, so I know he'll be able to recover and work through it," Brown told Boston Sports Journal. "When he was here, I definitely had a friend, had a brother. We were similar in mindsets. Didn't say a lot, didn't talk to a lot of people, but we understood each other. Rob was definitely somebody that I had a lot of respect for and was a great friend while he was here."

Sacramento (4-4): Domantas Sabonis' 15th triple-double with the Kings pushed him past Chris Webber for 15th in franchise history, still far behind the team's all-time leader Oscar Robertson (176). The win over the Thunder, Sacramento's finest defensive performance during an inconsistent start to the season without De'Aaron Fox, also saw Kevin Huerter break free for 28 points. A tough schedule continues for the Kings without Fox (ankle), who's without a timetable for a return after sitting out five straight games. 

San Antonio (3-6): The fun ended for the Spurs after their breakout back-to-back wins over the short-handed Suns. They lost four straight games after to deeper, more rounded Raptors, Pacers, Knicks and Timberwolves teams as San Antonio fell to 26th in offense and last in defense -- amounting to the worst net rating in the NBA (-12.1). The Spurs can't defend at all without Victor Wembanyama on the floor, and with the season starting to trend in the wrong direction, it's worth wondering whether San Antonio could've acquired more talent around the rookie considering how prepared he looks immediately. Jeremy Sochan has played long stretches at point guard and only Devin Vassell has looked like an offensive tone-setter. 

"We're learning," Wembanyama said. "As a young team, any team really, we're going to go through losing streaks sometimes during the season in tough times. It's going to happen. But the most important thing is how we bounce back."

Toronto (4-4): Scottie Barnes put the sophomore slump behind him and returned to his role the Raptors' offensive hub, averaging 15.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 4.2 APG on 47.4% shooting through an up-and-down start for Toronto. They visit the Celtics on Friday before hosting them later this month, ranked seventh on defense and 18th offense in a familiar formula under new head coach Darko Rajaković. The three continues to elude Barnes, but if he can start hitting them, it'l expand their possibilities on the offensive end. The question will become how long Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby stick around. 

"If you’re closing out on Scottie Barnes, like, God help you,” Rajakovic said during the preseason. “You’re dealing with him going downhill and finishing at the rim or connecting with his teammates. And that’s gonna really help his game, and it’s gonna really help our game.”

Utah (3-7): Haven't played well and lost Walker Kessler to an elbow injury expected to cost him at least two weeks. Can Will Hardy shape a more effective lineup around Lauri Markkanen at the four, John Collins inside and rookie Keyonte George at the point guard spot? That formula will likely lead to more inconsistent results than what the Jazz pulled off at this time last year with Mike Conley and other steady veterans mixed into their lineups, Jordan Clarkson's slow start making their opening stretch all the more difficult this time. They ranked 16th in offense and 28th in defense. 

Washington (2-6): Truly the toughest team to watch in the league so far. If you enjoy the highs and lows of Jordan Poole -- tune in.